THE emergency works at Trowbridge Sports Centre are to repair the rusting of structural steel supports which have affected the building’s reinforced concrete.

Stunned Wiltshire Council bosses were forced to immediately order the centre’s closure on December 23. It is not yet known how much the emergency repairs will cost.

The closure has affected all of the centre’s swimming pool users, including Trowbridge Amateur Swimming Club, The West Wiltshire Diving Club and the Hot Chilli Triathlon Club, its premium and Places Leisure members, swim-only members, and parents who take their children there for swimming lessons, as well as users of its dry-side facilities.

The council says the centre’s swimming pool will remain closed until the summer to enable contractors to make it safe.

Council leader Phillip Whitehead said they need to solve the initial problem of the repairs before deciding how long to keep it open and what should replace the centre in the future.

He said: “We did a routine check on all our builds and they discovered problems with the reinforced concrete through rusting of the steel which meant the building was unsafe, so we had no choice but to immediately close it. That’s just the swimming pool the rest of the sports centre is fine.

“The other work we immediately put forward was that we will bring the swimming pool back to life in about six months.

“There are a few sets of problems here that I think we need to answer. The initial problem needed to be solved.

“You could not solve the problem of Clarendon and lower the swimming pool in a time scale that was anywhere near what it would be to develop a new site all together.

“There are problems with the east wing, it is tiny for a sports centre. The basic problem with the east wing it will increase any sports centre build significantly because you can’t go below the level successfully.

“The problem we have got with Clarendon just like anywhere else is the structure so we would have to take remedial action.

“We would like to sort the money out and get it across and sort that as soon as we possibly can.

“Hopefully, our aim is to open it in time for the summer holidays so then we can provide free swimming for the children as we always do every summer holidays.”

Cllr Allison Bucknell, the council’s cabinet member for leisure, said: “We are working hard to establish the extent of repairs required. The quickest way forward to ensure residents in Trowbridge have access to a local pool as soon as possible.

“Places Leisure is working with clubs and organisations that use the facility to discuss alternative arrangements.

“Places Leisure will be looking at a number of solutions including available water time at other sites, access to swimming lanes during public swimming sessions and potentially extending some opening times.

“It is not possible to provide diving at other sites due to required pool depth. Places Leisure have been in contact with the West Wiltshire Diving Club, who have made contact with other suitable facility providers outside of Wiltshire.

“We appreciate the interim arrangements are not ideal, and we apologise for any inconvenience.We are working to resolve this as quickly as possible.”